Textile strapping machine



April 22, 1958 D. E. BLACK ETAL TEXTILE STRAPPING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15,1952 13 Sheets-Sheet 1 @vigili-:f1:

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TEXTILE STRAPPING MACHINE I Filed Nov. 15, 1952 15 Sheets-Sheet 2 quINVENTORSZ l DONALD E. BLACK WILLARD E. COLLINS JAMES N. WOGNUM JOHNEKERN OTT BY Mw sfwl,

ATT'Ys April 22, 1958 D. E. ABLACK ETAL TEXTILE STRAPPING MACHINE 13Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. l5, 1952 INVENTORS'. DONALD E. BLACK WILLARDE. COLLINS JAMES N. WOGNUM JOHN EKERN OTT April 22, 1958 D. E. BLACKETAL 2,831,422

TEXTILE sTRAPPING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15. 1.952 1s sheets-sheet 4 un' 3 N-i-v 25Ic DONALD E. BLACK l WILLARD E. COLLINS JAMES'N.WOGNUM JOHN EKERNOTTl ATT'Ys INVENTORS- April 22, 1958 D. E. BLACK ETAL 2,831,422

TEXTILE STRAPPING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1952 13 Sheets-Sheet 5INVENTORSI Y Flan /YOA FIG. lo

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asl/D WILLARD ECOLLINS JAMES N. WOGNUM JOHN EKERN OTT BY *M ATT'Ys April22, 1958 D. E. BLACK ETAL 2,831,422

Y TEXTILE STRAPPING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1952 13 Sheets-Sheet 6 230web use v |NvENToRs: DONALD E. BLACK WILLARD E. COLLINS JAMES N. WOGNUMJOHN EKERN OTT i BY 9M,

ATT 'Ys April 22, 1958 D. E. BLACK ETAL TEXTILE STRAPPING MACHINE FiledNov. 15, 1952 13 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTORS-- DONALD E. BLACK WILLARD E.COLLINS JAMES N. WOGNUM JOHN EKERN OTT BY YM' ATTYs April 22, 1958 D. E.BLACK ETAL 2,831,422

TEXTILE STRAPPING MACHINE Filed Nov. l5, 1952 13 Sheets-Sheet 8 FIG. I7

INVENTORS: DONALD E. BLACK WILLARD E. COLLINS JAMES N. WOGNUM JOHN EKERNO Tl `BYY April 22, 1958 D. E. BLACK ETAL TEXTILE STRAPPING MACHINE 13Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed NOV. 15, 1952 D. E. BLACK AL TEXTILE STRAPPINGMACHINE April 22, 1958 l5 Sheets-Sheet lO Filed Nov. 15, 1952 lINVENTORS: DONALD E. BLACK WILLARDE. COLLINS .JAMES N. woGNuM JOHN EKERNo T @NGE ATT'YS April 22, 1958 D. E. BLACK ETAL TEXTILE STRAPPINGMACHINE 13 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 Filed Nov. 15. 1952 1N VEN TORS.' DONALD E.BLACK NNE April 22, 1958 D. E. BLACK ETAL 2,831,422

TEXTILE STRAPPING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1952 13 sheets-sheet 12INVENTORSI DONALD E. BLACK w|| L ARD E. coLLms N J WMM/YM ATT Ys April22, 1958 Filed Nov. 15,- 1952 FIGBI D. E. BLACK ET AL TEXTILE STRAPPINGMACHINE 13 Sheets-Sheet 13 30la 352 M 3oz@ 35 L 355 NSM/v 35e M349 /806ln( wl 305 @J 3 o 35er I 35o AMW 80h V 357 mi @d 357@ 545C ses sel 4. frzM- L! L. I 296A 355" slab assu), 314D sfwv ,i Wash mvENToRs:

DONALD E. BLACK wiLLARD E.co| 1Ns JAMES N. woGNuM JOHN EKERN OTT UnitedStates TEXTILE STRAPPING MACHNE Donald E. Black, Chicago, Willard E.Collins, Clarendon Hills, James N. Wognum, Chicago, and .lohn Ekern Ott,Hinsdale, Ill., assignors to Acme Steel Company, Chicago, lll., acorporation of Illinois Application November 15, 1952, Serial No.320,794

7 Claims. (Cl. 1110-45) This invention relates Vto improvements intextile strapping machines and its purpose is to provide an improvedmachine for compressing bundles or packages of textiles or othercompressible materials and then encircling them with metal bindingstraps which are drawn taut to hold the bundles, packages, boxes,containers or other shipping units in their compressed condition tofacilitate the handling thereof during shipment or subsequent use.

In the lield of packaging, and particularly in the packaging oftextiles, it is common practice to enclose the .textile materials inberboard containers of the telescoping type and to close the containersand compress their contents preliminary to applying binding strapsthereto. The closing of the container and the compression of itscontents has usually been effected by the act of drawing the straps tautaround the container preliminary to joining the ends of the straps, withthe result th'at the tension of the diterent straps has not been uniformand the straps have often cut into the edges of the containers in theprocess of being drawn taut. These operations have required theattention of a plurality of workmen in connection with the binding ofeach package or bundle and the operation has been necessarilytime-consuming and expensive.

Further, in the operation of applying binding straps to bales, bundlesor packages of various types, by the use of a press, it has been thepractice to employ workmen on opposite sides of the bundle or package tothread the straps through the grooves in the pressure platens of thepress located above and below the bundle or package to cause them toencircle the object to be bound, and this has been followed by the useof manually operated tools for joining the ends of each strap. Thispractice has also been costly because of the labor requirements andbecause the rate of production for a single press was l very low.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improvedstrapping machine in which the operations of extending the binder aroundthe package or bundle and then drawing it taut are performedautomatically under the control of a single operator who then causes thebinder to be cut from the supply and its ends to be secured together,thus requiring a minimum of manual labor. A further object of theinvention is to provide a strapping machine comprising means forcompressing the bundle or package and maintaining it in 'that compressedcondition while applying one or a plurality of binding straps around itand creating a substantially uniform condition of tension in each strap.A further object is to provide a baling machine comprising means forcausing a plurality of exible binders to be automatically drawn fromsupply coils and simultaneously extended around a bale or bundlepreliminary to the operations of drawing the binders taut, cutting themfrom the supply coils and then securing the ends of each bundleencircling binder together. Another object of the invention is toprovide power driven strap feeding means for draw- 2,831,422 PatentedApr. 22, 1958 rice ing a strap from a supply, extending it automaticallyaround a bundle and then, after its end has been gripped, reversing itsaction to draw the strap taut around the bundle. Still another object ofthe invention is to provide a strapping machine comprising means forautomatically extending a strap around a bundle, means for drawing thestrap taut aro-und the bundle, means for cutting it oil from the sourceof. supply and means for joining the ends of the taut strap, preferablyin combination with means for causing all of these operations to beeffected by power driven means under the convenient control of a singleoperator. A further object of the in` struction and arrangement whichwill appear more fully hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be understood from' the followingspecification taken with the accompanying drawings in which oneembodiment of the invention is illustrated. In the drawings,

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 2a shows a perspective View of a strap joint which may be formed bythe sealing apparatus of the machine illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 2b shows a perspective view of a channel-shaped metal seal whichmay be employed to form the type of joint which is illustrated in Fig.2a;

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged vertical section through the lower portion ofthe machine illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the section being taken on theline 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3showing the mechanism which is actuated by the free end of the strapafter it has passed around a bundle or package for the purpose ofoperating a switch in the electric control circuit;

Fig. 5 shows an enlarged side elevation similar to that' of the upperleft-hand portion of Fig. 2, illustrating the mechanism by which thestrap is withdrawn from the source of supply and fed through the guidechannels which extend around the bundle or package;

Fig. 6 shows a sectional View taken on the irregular line 6 6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 shows an enlarged top plan view of the left-hand portion of themovable pressure platen of the machine,

the view being taken substantially on the line 7 7 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 shows a side elevation of the movable pressure platen lookingtoward the right in Fig. l as illustrated by Fig. 10 shows a sectionalview taken on the line 10 10 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 11 shows a sectional view taken on the line 11 11 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 12 shows a sectional view taken on the line 12 12 t of Fig. 15;

Fig. 13 shows an enlarged side elevation of'one of the sealing devicesembodied in the machine and carried by j the movable pressure platen,this sealing device being also shown in elevation on a smaller scale inFig. 3;

Fig. 14 shows a sectional view on the line 14 14 of Fig. 13,illustrating the gripping dog embodied in the sealing apparatus forholding the free end of a strap after it has been passed around a baleor bundle;

Fig. 1S is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line -15 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 16 shows a sectional view taken on the line 16-16 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 17 shows a horizontal section taken on the line 17--17 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 18 shows a partial vertical section taken on the line 18-18 of Fig.17, illustrating the sealing head of the sealing device in its extremeelevated position in which it is adapted to receive a seal `from thelower end of the magazine in which the seals are stored for use;

Fig. 19 shows an enlarged horizontal section through the scaling jaws,taken on the line 19-19 of Fig. 18;

Fig. 20 shows a vertical section on the line 2%-20 of Fig. 18,illustrating the sealing jaws and the movable cutting blade in theirelevated positions;

Fig. 2l shows a partial enlarged front elevation of the apparatusillustrated in Fig. 13 with parts thereof broken away, illustrating byfull lines the position of the sealing lever and associated parts afterthe sealing head has been lowered and before the jaws have been actuatedto form an interlocking joint, and illustrating by dotted lines therelative position of the sealing lever and associated parts after thislever has been actuated to operate the sealing jaws for the purpose ofdetorming the strap ends and the seal;

Fig. 22 shows a detailed section taken on the line 22-22 of Fig. 2l;

Fig. 23 shows a detailed section taken on the line 23-23 of Fig. 2l;

Fig. 24 shows a perspective View of the toothed pin on which the sealinglever is mounted;

Fig. 25 is a perspective view of the bearing member engaged by one endof the pin illustrated in Fig. 24;

Fig. 26 is a perspective View of the cover plate which is mounted on theOuter end of the bearing member shown in Fig. 25;

Fig. 27 is a vertical section showing a side elevation of the latchmechanism for controlling the seal feed;

Fig. 28 is a perspective view of the latch member embodied in themechanism shown in Fig. 27;

Fig. 29 is a perspective view of the gripping dog which holds the freeend of the strap in the sealing device after it has passed around thebale or bundle together. with the operating connections thereto forcontrolling its actuation during the strapping cycle;

Fig. 30 is a diagrammatic View showing the various parts of the fluidpressure operated system by which various operations of the balingmachine are etected; and

Fig. 3l shows a schematic diagram of the electric circuit by which theluid pressure operated devices are controlled.

As illustrated in the drawings, the invention is embodied in a balingmachine comprising a horizontal base adapted to rest upon a door orother support and having secured thereto a vertically extending frame ilcomprising two side frame members 42 and a connecting top cross framemember 43. The vertical frame members 41 are of channel form havingtheir anges directed away from each other and they are arranged tosupport a vertically movable pressure platen 45 which is adapted to belowered for the purpose of compressing a bale or bundle 46 which restsupon the stationary platen formed by the base 40. The base 40 comprisestransverse channel-shaped frame members 40a which are connected toupright longitudinally extending frame members 4Gb and the framestructure thus formed has mounted thereon a plurality or series ofcylindrical rollers 47 having their pinions journaled in brackets d8which are carried by the frame members so that the rollers provide theimmediate support for the bale or bundle 46 which may be rolled on tothe base from a suitable conveyor at one side ot the machine anddischarged therefrom on to another conveyor at the other side of themachine after it has been compressed and strapped.

The movable pressure platen 45 comprises a pair of side plates Si) whichextend on the inner sides of the upright frame members 42, asillustrated in Fig. 1, and these side plates are connected by achannel-shaped transverse frame member S1, located adjacent to theupright frame members 42, and also by a transverse channel-shaped framemember 52 located at the forward end ot the pressure platen, as well asby a transverse frame member 53 which connects the upper ends of theside plates adjacent the forward edges of the up right frame members 42.Each of the side plates is provided with two pairs of rollers 54 mountedon pins 5S which extend iaterally therefrom, as shown in Figs. l and 2,and these rollers are adapted to coact with the iront and rear sides ofthe upright frame members 42 which serve as track members for thepressure platen t5 during its vertical movement.

In order to counterbalance the weight of the pressure platen 45 and theparts carried thereby, the transverse frame member 53 thereof isconnected near its ends to two flexible cables S6 which extend upwardlyand over pulleys 57 which are journaled in brackets mounted in slotsformed in the upper ends of the frame members 42. After the cables S6have been extended over these pulleys 57 they are directed downwardlyand secured to counterweights 58 which are mounted to move vertically inthe sheet metal housings 59 of U-shaped cross section which are securedto the outer sides of the members 42. Through the provision of thesecounterweights, a minimum of eort is required to eiect the verticalmovement of the pressure platen 45 and the parts ot the machine whichare mounted thereon.

The pressure platen is moved vertically by fluid pressure operated meansconnected Ito two Ushaped brackets 66 which have their arms secured inthe transverse meniber 53 of this pressure platen. These brackets aresecured to piston rods 61 which extend downwardly into the cylinders 62which are pivoted at the points 63 on the base 4G. Pistons are securedto the piston rods 61 within the cylinders 62 and, when compressed airor the like is admitted to the lower ends of these cylinders, thepistons are actuated to move the pressure platen 45 upwardly, while theadmission of compresed air or the like to the upper ends of thecylinders 62 causes a downward movement of the presurc platen for thepurpose of compressing the bale or bundle 46.

When the bundle or package 46 has been closed or compressed to thedesired extent, one or more steel binding straps 65 are passed aroundthe Ibundle by power operated means carried by the pressure platen Inthe embodiment illustrated, means are provided for causing thecompressed bundle to be bound by three ilexible steel straps which arefed around the bundle by three separate but simultaneously operatedfeeding devices. These feeding devices 6) are mounted on the forward endof the pressure platen i5 and the metal straps 65 are drawn thereto overpulleys 67 which are mounted in slots located in the upper ends of thevertical portions 70a of guide channels 79, which serve as tracks forthe moving straps after they have passed the feeding devices 60. Themetal straps `are drawn from supply coils or the like, not illustrated,and travel in the direction of the arrows 71 on the inner sides ofpulleys 72 which arc carried by brackets 73 mounted on intermediateparts of the upright portions 70a of the guide member '74). The strapsthen pass upwardly and over the pulleys 67 and thence downwardly in aforwardly inclined direction to the feeding devices 60. From the feedingdevices 6l) the straps extend along the underside of the pressure platen4S through strap sealing devices 75 and they then enter the guidechannels 70, being directed by the lower curved portion 7Gb of theseguide channels to the forward aaah-42a upright portions 70C thereofwhere the free ends of the straps are projected to be seized by theoperator and placed in operating engagement with gripping members of thesealing devices 75 in readiness to be drawn taut around the bales orbundles.

Each strap 65 is discharged from the upright portion 70C of its guidechannel in proximity to a housing 77 mounted upon the upturned end of aconduit 78 through which electric connections are made with aplurality'of push buttons 78 adapted to be actuated by the operator forthe purpose of controlling the electric circuit by which the variousfluid pressure operations of the machine are regulated and controlled.As the strap 65 is discharged from a guide channel 70e it passes througha housing 30, shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 4, which contains a pairof upright bars 81 forming a channel 82 through which the metal strippasses. These bars 81 are provided adjacent their lower ends withapertures to receive a pair of grooved rollers 83 and S4, one of whichhas its bearings in a stationary bracket S5 secured to one of the barswhile the other roller 84 has its trunnions journaled in -a lever S6which is pivoted at 87 on arms S3 extending from the other bar 81. Acoil spring S9 mounted on the pin 87 is arranged to actuate the lever S6to move the roller 84 toward the roller 83 so :that the two rollers willengage the opposi-te edges of the strap 65 passing through the housing.At its other end the lever 86 is provided with a pin 89a having a screwthreaded engagement therewith and adapted to contact the actuating pin99a of a switch 90 which is connected in the electric circuithereinafter described for controlling the actuation of the associatedfeeding device 60 `by which a strap is fed to this particular housing80. When the strap 65 is projected upwardly through the housing 80 itseparates the rollers 83 and 84 with the result that the switch 90 isactuated to stop the associated feeding device 60 and the parts are soarranged that there is some delay in the stopping of the feeding deviceso that, when the stoppage is iinally effected, the end portions 65a ofthe strap will project above the housing S and the switch housing 77 sothat it may be gripped by the operator for bending it over intoengagement with a gripping dog mounted upon the associated sealingdevice 75, as hereinafter more fully described.

The arrangement for guiding the strap, feeding it, arresting the feedingoperation, drawing the strap taut around the bundle, cutting it off fromthe source of supply and forming an interlocking joint between itsoverlapping ends are the same for each of the straps 65 and adescription of one of these units will suiice for all of them. Afterpassing over a roll 67 at the upper end of the frame 41, each strappasses downwardly to a feeding device 6) which is shown particularly inFigs. 1, 3, and 6 where it is shown as comprising a supporting frame 91mounted upon a supporting plate 92 which extends between the side plates50 of the pressure platen 45. The upright portion of this frame 91 hasmounted therein a horizontal bolt 93 which serves as a shaft forsupporting an idler feed wheel 95 which is mounted to rotate about thebolt 93 through kan intermediate ball bearing unit 96 which seatsagainst the head of the bolt and against a washer 97 mounted between itand the frame 91. The outer ring of the 1ball bearing unit 96 is held inplace by a retaining ring 9S. The peripheral surface 95a of the feedWheel 95 passes in close proximity to a driving feed wheel 100 which issecured upon the shaft 101 of a driving motor 102, which is preferably amotor of the rotary impeller type actuated by air under pressure. Thismotor is secured by studs 103 to a supporting member 104 which ispivoted by a pin 105 on the frame 91. The outer end of the shaft 101 isjournaled in a ball bearing unit 106 mounted in the depending portion104a of the supporting member and this arrangement allows the drivenfeed wheel 100 to rest by gravity upon the strap 65 which passes betweenit and the idler feed wheel 95v In order toregulate the pressure withwhich the feed wheels and 100 engage the strap, the supporting member104 is arranged to be actuated about its pivot by a coil spring 107mounted upon a stud 108 which threadedly engages the frame 91 andextends upwardly therefrom within a cylindrical recess 10419 which isformed in the supporting member. The lower end of the spring engages thebottom of this recess and the upper end engages a Washer 109 securedagainst the spring by an adjustable nut 110 which may-be regulated tocontrol the compression of the spring 107 and the resulting pressurewith which the feed wheel 100 engages the upper side of the strap.

The strap 65 passes to the feed wheels 95 and 100 through a guide member111 which is secured to the supporting member 104- by studs 112 and, asthe strap moves downwardly from the feed wheel 100 it engages anotherguide member 113 which is secured to the frame 91 by studs 114. Thisguide member 113 conforms generally to the peripheral surface 95a of thefeed wheel 95 'but diverges slightly therefrom and it terminates in astraight portion 113s, located at the right of the feed wheel 95 asviewed in Figs. 3 and 5, from which point the strap 65 passes to theguide members -of the adjacent sealing device '75.

After passing through the guides of the sealing device 75, the strap 65passes beneath a series of magnetic rollers 115 which have theirtrunnions journaled in brackets 116 secured to the frame structure ofthe pressure platen 45. These rollers are adapted to hold the strapabove the bale or bundle 46 by magnetic attraction and after passing incontact with these rollers, the strap 65 engages anotherseries ofsimilar magnetic rollers 117 journaled in brackets 118 which are carriedby a curved guide member 119 extending rearwardly and downwardly fromthe lower part of the cross frame member 51 of the pressure platen. The

magnetic rollers 117 extend slightly below the guide memguide channeland are adapted to attract the metal strapl and hold it as it passesdownwardly to the curved bottom portion 70h of the guide channel bywhich it is guided under the bale or bundle 46 and then deflectedupwardly into the upright portion 70e of the guide channel. Thevmagnetic rollers 120 are spaced apart vertically alongl the uprightportion 70a of the guide channel so that one or more of them will beengaged by the strap with the pressure platen 45 in any position whichit may occupy.

The lowermost roll 120 is located in proximity to the place j where thestrap will be discharged by the magnetic rollers 117 when the pressureplaten l5 is in its lowermost position.

The magnetic rollers 115, 117 and 120 and their mountings aresubstantially alike and a description of the rollers 120 will sufficefor all of them. As shown in Fig.

11, each roller 120 is mounted upon a shaft 122 of non-y metallicmaterial which is journaled in two brackets 121- carried by the sidewalls of the upright portion 70a of one of the guide channels 70. Eachroller 1Z0 comprises an` intermediate cylindrical member 12011 which isa perma nent magnet, being formed of a highly magnetic alloysuch",

as that known to the trade as Alnico 5, and this member contacts on itsends with two other similar members 120b which are of larger diameterthan the intermediate part 120a and are provided at their outer edgeswith inwardly directed annular projections 120e which are spaced apartto leave an air gap 124 between them. With this arrangement, themagnetic tnxset up by the permanent l 'i' magnet 120i: passes throughthe roller portions 120b which are formed of magnetizable material, andthence across the air gap 121i or through the steel strap when the steelstrap is in contact therewith. In this way the steel strap istemporarily attracted and held Aby the roller 120 while it is in contacttherewith during its travel. in order to prevent the steel strap frombending around the roller and following its curvature instead ofcontinuing in a straight line, a spacer 125 of bronze, aluminum or othernonmagnetizable material is mounted between each pair of rollers 120i;in alignment with the air gap 124" so that it will engage the metalstrap above and below the roller 120 to maintain the desired directionof travel of the strap.

Each strap sealing device 75 has the form which is illustratedparticularly in Figs. 13 to 27, inclusive. This device embodies themeans for cutting oft the strap from the source of supply and forming aninterlocking joint between its overlapping ends which is disclosed inUnited States Letters Patent No. 2,375,769 granted May 15, 1945, on anapplication of William C. Childress and I ames M. Royal. The mechanismdisclosed therein is substantially the same as the major portionembodied in the sealing device 75 and reference may be had to saidLetters Patent for a more detailed description than is given here, itbeing understood that other forms of strap cutting and sealing devicesmay be employed in place of the one which is here illustrated anddescribed.

The sealing device 75 illustrated in the drawings and described in saidLetters Patent is adapted to employ an open channel-shaped seal 130which is shown particularly in Fig. 2b where it is illustrated as havinga back wall 130i: and two tlaring side walls 13% which are adapted tobend around and beneath the overlapping ends of the strap 65 during theoperation of the sealing apparatus and to be partially sheared anddeflected to form an interlocking joint. These seals are preferablyprovided on their side walls with punched projections 130C so that whenthey are arranged in a stack there will be a small area of contactbetween the walls of adjacent seals, thus providing the minimum ofresistance to the sliding movement of the bottom seal from the stack ofseals. The top walls of these seals are provided with centrally locatedapertures 130d so that they may be arranged in a stack for conveniencein shipping them and inserting them in the magazine of the sealingdevice. This form of seal and the resulting package of seals aredescribed and claimed in United States Letters Patent Nos. 2,062,098 and2,062,099 granted November 24, 1936, on applications of Chester M.MacChesney. In the operation of the sealing device 75 the side walls130b of the seal are bent beneath the overlapping strap ends and thesealing jaws of the tool are then operated to effect the shearing of theedges of the seal and the enclosed strap ends as shown at 130e in Fig.2a. The portion of the metal between the adjacent shearing cuts isdeflected to form projections 130)c thus furnishing interlockingshoulders which prevent relative separation of the strap ends. A similarjoint could be formed by threading the strap ends through a tubular sealand then shearing and deecting portions of the lateral edges of theassembled strap and seal instead of using the channel-shaped seal whichhas just been described. Also, other forms of tools could be employed iuplace of the sealing devices 75 to provide other forms of interlockingjoints between the overlapping strap ends after the strap has beenextended around the bale or bundle, drawn taut and then cut oft from thesource of supply.

In the form of sealing apparatus illustrated in Figs. 13 to 27,inclusive, the mechanism is carried by a frame or casting 135 havinglaterally extending anges 1.35ct and 135i: which extend beneath thestrap 65. On this frame 135 a forward gripping dog 136 is mounted on apivot pin 137 carried by the frame 135 and this gripping dog has aserrated lower edge 136e adapted to engage the upper side of the endportion 65a of the strap after the strap has been passed around the baleor bundle by the operation of the feeding device 60 and after theoperator has taken the free end of the strap from its position above thehousing and extended it over the top of the bale and into position onthe ange 13561 beneath the gripping dog. This gripping dog 136 isnormally moved into engagement with the strap on the ange 13551 by acoil spring, not illustrated, and it is so constructed that the end65.11 will slide freely beneath it upon being pushed toward the right asviewed in Fig. 13 although any tendency of the strap to move in thereverse direction will be resisted by the gripping of the dog 136.

In passing to the sealing device 75 from the feeding devcc dit. thestrap passes through a longitudinal groove 136i) which is formed in thegripping dog 136 and it then passes through the groove 1.38ct of a guidemember 13S which is mounted on the frame 135 above the flange 5.35mFromthe guide member 13S, the strap 65 extends over the ange 135i; o theframe and thence into Contact with the magnetic rollers on the undersideof the pressure platen 45, as previously described. Above the flange bthere is mounted another gripping dog which is pivoted on a pin 141mounted in the frame and which is located in an inclined position sothat its lower serrated gripping surface ftd-0.a will grip the strapwhen it is moved toward the right as viewed in Fig. 13 but will releasethe strap when it is moved in the opposite direction. The dog 140 isnormally moved into engagement with the strap by coil spring 142 whichis mounted in a recess in the underside of the upper end of the grippingdog with its lower end engaging a projection 143 carried by the frame.

After the strap 65 has been extended around the bale or bundle by themotor driven feeding device 60, the free end 65a thereof is pushed underthe gripping dog 136 until its end engages a stop member 145 which, atthat time, will have been positioned so that it will form an abutmentfor the end of the strap. After the strap is thus in a positionencircling the bale or bundle with its end engaging the stop 145, themotor 102 of the associated feeding device 60 is reversed in directionso that it then pulls the strap in a direction opposite to that in whichit has previously been fed, thereby taking up the slack in the strap anddrawing it taut around the bale or bundle 46. During this operation thefree end of the strap is securely held by the gripping dog 136, whilethe supply portion thereof runs freely beneath the gripping dog 140.When the strap has thus been drawn taut around the compressed bale orbundle, the gripping dog 14) is actuated as hereinafter described tocause it to grip the supply portion of the strap and other parts of themechanism are operated to cut oit the supply portion of the strap withan overlapping of the ends of the portion of the strap which extendaround the bundle. After the overlapping of the ends has been etectedthesealing mechanism is operated to feed a sealto a position where itmay be caused to engage the overlapping strap ends preliminary to afurther operation which forms the type of joint shown in Fig. 2a.

This sealing mechanism comprises a vertically extending seal magazine147 on which there is slidably mounted a vertically movable sealing head148 having pivotally mounted therein a pair of sealing jaws 150 whichare capable of relative movement for iirst bending the side walls of theseal 130 beneath the overlapping strap ends and then cutting anddeforming the edges ci these parts to form the joint. The lowermost sealof the stack of seals 136 in the magazine 147 is adapted to be fed by aplunger 151 from the bottom of the magazine to a position between thejaws 150 when the sealing head 14S and the jaws are in the elevatedpositions shown in Fig. 13. At the beginning of the downward movement ofthe sealing head 148 and the jaws 150 to cause the seal to embrace thestrap ends, a movable shearing blade 153 is moved into position tocooperate with a stationary shearing blade 154 to cut off the supplyportion of the strap in a position such that the strap end so formedwill lie flush with the end of the seal in the joint about to be made.

This downward movement of the sealing head 148 and of the jaws 150 iseffected by the sealing lever 155- which is pivoted by means of a shaft156 on the sealing head 148. The shaft also pivotally connects the lever155 and the head 148 with a tilting frame 157 which is pivotallyconnected at its rear end by a hollow pin 158 with a supporting member159 carried on the pivot pin 159a mounted in the bracket 160 secured tothe frame 135. A block 161 is mounted to slide on the sealing lever Sand this block is pivotally connected by a pin 162 with an operatinglever 163 having its lower end pivoted at 164 on a lateral extension ofthe frame 135. This operating lever 163 is pivoted at an intermediatepoint 165 to a piston rod 166 which extends into a cylinder 167 where itis connected to a piston 163. This cylinder 167 is adapted to beoperated by fluid pressure, such as compressed air or the like, and therear end thereof is provided with a flange 167e which is pivoted at 169to a bracket 1761 iixed on the transverse frame member 51 of thepressure platen 45. When compressed air is admitted to the right-handend of the cylinder 167, as viewed in Fig. 3, the piston rod 166 isactuated to move the lever 163 toward the left and thereby cause anupward and forward swinging of the tilting frame 157 about the member158 with a resulting downward movement of the sealing head 14S and jaws158. When compressed air is admitted to the forward end of the cylinder167, the piston rod 166 is retracted and the parts are restored to thepositions which they have in Fig. 13. Thus, by the operation of thepiston 168 in the cylinder 167 the mechanism is actuated to cut off thestrap from the source of supply, feed a seal to a position between thesealing jaws 15), actuate the sealing head 148 and the jaws to form aninterlocking joint between the overlapping strap ends, and then torestore the parts to their initial positions wherein the jaws 151i mayreceive another4 seal 130 from the bottom of the magazine 147.

Referring now to the sealing mechanism actuated by the lever 155, thesealing head 148 comprises a hollow frame 171 mounted to slide on themagazine 147 through interlocking anges, as shown in Fig. 17, so thatthe frame of the head 148 is capable of movement vertically toward andfrom a notch 135C in the base ange of the frame 135 above which theinterlocking joint in the overlapping strap ends is formed. The frame171 has a vertical passage 1710.' of rectangular cross section in whicha plunger 174 has a sliding lit. This plunger is arranged to actuate thesealing jaws 150 which are pivotally mounted on pins 175 extendingbetween the side plates 171:1 of the sealing frame. The upper arms ofthe jaws 150 are pivotally connected by pins 176 to links 177 which areconnected at their upper ends by a common pivot pin 178 to the lower endof the plunger 174. The plunger 174 is normally moved to the upperposition, shown in Fig. 20, by a pair of coil springs 179 which connectthe plunger with a bar 180 attached to the upper end of the frame 171.

Each jaw 150 is made up of a plurality of plates or laminationscomprising three bending dies 150b and two alternately arranged cuttingor shearing dies 150C. The bending dies 15612 are provided at theirlower ends with undercut portions 156e located above the projecting hookportions 1581 which terminate in registering projections 150g adapted toreceive and support the edges of the side walls 13t b of one of thechannel-shaped seals 130 when this seal is fed from the magazine 147 bythe feeding plunger 151 to a position between the jaws as shown in Fig.20. The shearing dies 150e of each jaw are provided at their lower endswith cutting or shearing edges 150k which are spaced inwardly from andbetween the,` 75;-

projecting hook portions 1501 of the bending dies so that upon relativemovement of the lower ends of the two jaws 150 toward each other, thebending dies 1501; rst bend the side walls of the seal downwardly andinwardly about the overlapping strap ends with the edges of the strapand seal extending into the undercut recesses 150C, and with thecompletion of this relative movement of the jaws, the cutting edges ofthe shearing dies come into action to shear the lateral edges of thestrap and seal and to deect the intervening portions of the metal toform the type of joint shown in Fig. 2a.y

On their lower inner sides the jaws 150 are provided with arcuatesurfaces which are concentric with the pivot pins 175 and between these`surfaces there is posi# tioned a saddle member 183 (Figs. 19 and 20)which is actuated by springs 184 seated in a block 185 extending betweenthe sides of the frame 171 so that it engages the back wall a of the4seal and holds the edge of the side walls of the seal in engagementwith the extremities g of the jaws when the sealing head is intheelevated position shown in Fig. 20. The saddle member 183 is adapted tomove slightly against the-compression of the springs 184 during theclosing of the jaws on the seal.

The downward movement of the plunger 174 against the action of thesprings 179 is effected by a pinion 156a, formed integrally with theshaft 156 which is journaled in bearings formed in ears projecting fromthe side plates of the frame 171, as shown in Fig. 17, and arranged tomesh with the rack bar 174a formed on the vertical facev of the plunger.The shaft 156 has the form shown particularly in Fig. 24, being providedat one side ofthe pinion with a cylindrical portion 156!) which isjournaled in one of the ears projecting from the frame 171 and at theother side of the pinion with another cylindrical portion 156e which isjournaled in a bushing 186 secured in the other ear projecting from thatframe.

The shaft 156 is adapted to turn in its bearings t0 effect verticalmovement of the plunger 174 and it also serves as the means throughwhich a vertical motion is imparted to the head 148 independently of themovement of the plunger. The head 148 is directly supported by thetilting frame 157, previously referred to, which has side members whichare apertured for pivotal engagement with the portion 156b of the shaft156 and with the bushing 186, as shown in Fig. 17, so that a swingingmovement of the tilting frame is adapted to raise or lower the head 148and its frame 171.

The side members of the tilting frame 157 receive between them at theirrear ends the upper end of the pivoted supporting member 159 to whichthey are pivotally connected by the previously mentioned hollow pin 158.The supporting member has a boss 159e at its upper end in which thehollow pin or bushing 158 is secured by a set screw 187 engaging anannular groove in the bushing. The tilting frame 157 is thus capable ofpivotal movement about the upper end of the supporting member 159 andthe supporting member is capable of pivotal movement about the pin 159:1to allow the frame 171 of the head '148 to move vertically toward andfrom the overlapping strap ends.

After the member 159 has swung toward the left, as viewed in Figs. 13and 18, and the frame 157 has swung downwardly to position the seal 13@carried by the head on the overlapping strap ends, the shaft 156 isturned to cause the pinion 156@ to move the plunger 174 downwardly andthereby actuate the jaws 150 to form an interlocking joint. This turningof the shaft 156, and the reverse rotation thereof, are eifected by thesealing lever actuated by the cylinder 167. The lever 155 is mountedupon the forward extremity 156d of the shaft (see Fig. 17), which isrecessed at this point to provide a plurality of longitudinallyextending ribs 156e which are spaced apart circumferentially of theshaft and which are adapted to receive between. them a plurality oflongitudinally extending splines or.,

keys 155e. These keys;r

are formed in the bore of the hub 155a of the sealing lever and whenthis lever is released from the tilting frame 157, as hereinafterdescribed, the ribs 156e of the shaft are adapted to coact with the keysor splines 155e onv the lever to form a driving connection which is madeuse of in effecting a downward movement of the plunger 174 and acorresponding closing movement of the jaws 150.

Another driving connection between the sealing lever 155 and the shaft156 is provided for ,ermitting the turning of the shaft by the lever toseparate the jaws at the conclusion of the sealing operation, since thiscannot be done by the ribs 156e and the keys 155C on account of the lostmotion between these parts when the lever is moved toward the right asviewed in Fig. 13. This additional means comprises a locking plate 185mounted on an extremity of the shaft 156 and'seating against the outerface of the hub portion 155e of the lever 155. The locking plate and thelever are secured on the shaft by a nut 189 which engages the threadedextremity of the shaft and seats against a washer 19t! where it issecured by a set screw 191.

The locking plate 18S is of pear-shaped form, the projecting arm thereofbeing provided with an aperture 183:1 of suicient size to receive onerounded extremity of a locking pin 194 which occupies a cylindricalpassageway 155b extending through the hub of the lever. On the innerside of the hub of the lever, another locking plate 195 is journaled onthe projecting end of the bushing 186 and secured to the face of theadjacent tilting frame 157 by means of a pin 195, as shown in Fig. 22.The plate 195 is provided with a recess 195a adapted to register withthe passageway 15517 in the hub of the lever and adapted to receive theinner rounded extremity of the locking pin 194. The recesses 188e and195e are tapered so that the pressure exerted on the adjacent end of thepin by relative movement of the lever and the locking plate in which theaperture is formed will tend to wedge the pin 194 away from the lockingplate into the aperture 1551i.

The locking plate 18S has keyways 18Sb, shown in Fig. 26, which engagethe extremities 156g of the ribs 156C formed on the shaft 156. When thepin 194 is moved outwardly to engage the recess 183e, a drivingconnection is established between the locking plate 188 and the lever155 so that movement of the lever will then turn the shaft in itsbearings. When the locking pin 194 is moved inwardly into engagementwith the recess 195a in the locking plate 195 which is mounted to swingwith the tilting frame 157, the outer end of the lever will be out ofengagement with the recess 18Sa and the lever 155 may then be swungabout its pivot without turning the shaft 156. This locking connectionformed by the pin 194 is made use of only for rotating the shaft 155 toseparate the jaws, but it is established in the course of the movementof the lever toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 13, before the closingof the jaws has been completed.

The lever 155 and its hub 15511 are provided with an integral dependingilange 155d of arcuate form and a lug 155e projecting from the face ofthis flange has adjustably mounted therein a threaded stud 197 which issecured in adjusted position by a lock nut 198. The end of this studbelow the nut 198 is adapted to engage a hard metal stop member 199which is secured in a projecting flange 171]' formed on the frame 171 ofthe head 148. When the lever 155 is swung downwardly and toward theright, as viewed in Fig. 13, the stud 197 is adapted to engage the stopmember 199 to limit the movement of the lever and the correspondingupward movement of the head 148. By adjusting the position of the stud197 in the lug 155e, the extreme upper position of the head may beprecisely located so that it will properly receive a seal from themagazine 147 when the seal is fed by the plunger 151.

The lever 155 is provided adjacent the flange 155d' with a klug 155ihaving a fiat lower face adapted to engage a projecting lug 157e formedon the tilting frame 157. After a predetermined movement of the lever155 from the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2l to the positionshown by full lines in that figure, the lug 155i engages the lng 157e tocause a direct actuation of the tilting frame 157 by the lever, therebyelevating the head 148 from its lower position. When the lever 155 is inthe position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2i, which corresponds to theposition wherein the shaft 156 has been actuated to lower the plunger174 and effect a relative movement of the sealing jaws 159, a boss 155gformed on the lever engages the surface 171k formed on the upper end ofthe flange 171]', thereby limiting the movement of the jaws in closingupon each other. This action is supplemented by the engagement of thelower end of the plunger 174 with the block carried by the sealing headfor supporting the springs 181i.

Assuming that the head 148 has been elevated. and that the leveroccupies its extreme right-hand position as shown in Fig. 13 and that itis desired to lower the head from this elevated position shown in Fig.13, it is necessary to establish a driving connection between the lever155 and the frame 157 so that this frame may be swung about the hollowpin or bushing 158 and the supporting member 159 moves forwardly aboutits pivot 159er, without causing rotation of the shaft 156 whichactuates the jaws. This locking connection is normally established by alocking pin Zitti, shown particularly in Figs. 17 and 22, which ismounted within the hollow pin 158. The pin 269 is provided at one endwith an enlarged cylindrical head Zlltia which is adapted to t within acup-shaped locking member 261 mounted in a recess in the inner face ofthe lever 155. At its other end, the locking pin 290 is provided with anenlarged cylindrical portion 200.5 which is located within the enlargedend 158:: of the hollow pin which seats against the rear face of thetilting frame 157. The enlarged portion 2G01; of

the locking pin has formed integrally therewith an annular flange 200Cconstructed in the form of a double truncated cone. The end face Ztltdof the pin 201i normally occupies a position in proximity to the innerface of the vertical frame member 135p, as shown in Fig. 17, and theflange Ztlc then abuts against the enlarged end 1:38a of the hollow pin.When the pin 20) is in this position, the extremity 200e thereof engagesthe cup-shaped locking member 201, so that when the lever 155 is swungupwardly and toward the left as viewed in Figs. 13 and 21, the tiltingframe 157 will be swung downwardly about the hollow pin 15S and thesupporting member 159 will swing toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 18,about the hollow pin 158. When the lever 155 reaches a predeterminedposition corresponding to the lower position of the sealing head 14Swhich positions a seal on the overlapping strap ends, one of the annularinclined faces of the flange 20G-c on the pin 263 engages the inclinedface 2030 of a stationary cam 263 which is secured to the frame member135p. The inclined face 203e forces the ange 21100 into a tapered recess1351: formed in the member 135p and this endwise movement of the pin 200withdraws the extremity 290:: thereof from the cupshaped locking member261 mounted on the sealing lever so that this lever 155 is then free tomove about its pivot on the shaft 156 independently of the tilting frame157 which then remains stationary during further movement of the lever129 in the same direction.

During the movement of the sealing lever 155 toward the left as viewedin Figs. 13 and i810 the point where the pin Zit@ moves out ofengagement with the locking member 201 and into engagement with therecess 135u, the locking pin 194 mounted in the hub of this leveroccupies its inner position and the outer end of this pin moves withinthe flat inner tace of the outer locking member 188 but, when this pointin the movement of the lever 155 is reached, the pin 194 registers withtheV recess 188g in the locking plate 188 and further pressure on thelever 155 which has then been released by the locking pin 200 causes theinner end of the pin 194 to be wedged outwardly by the inclined annularface of the recess 195a formed in the inner locking plate 195. The pin194 then moves outwardly until the outer rounded extremity thereof fullyenters the recess 188:1, whereupon the inner end of the pin 194 movespast the flat outer face of the inner plate 195. A driving connection isthus established between the lever 155 and the shaft 156 through the pin194 and the plate 188 and, at the same time, another driving connectionis established between the lever 155 and the shaft 156 through thesplines 156e and the casing 155e which have previously been described.The later driving connection is relied upon for rotating the shaft 156to effect the downward movement of the plunger 174 and the closing ofthe jaws 150, and the driving connection formed by the pin 194 isestablished primarily for subsequently opening the jaws after thesealing operation has been completed. When the sealing lever 155 hascompleted this movement of the plunger 174 the lever occupies theposition shown by dotted lines in Fig. 21 and the jaws 150 are thenclosed upon the overlapping strap ends as shown in that ligure.

During the initial stage of the return movement of the lever 155 towardthe right as viewed in Fig. 21, the locking connection establishedbetween the pin 194 and the locking plate 188 is relied upon for turningthe shaft 156 and releasing the jaws 150 from the completed strap joint,an operation which is assisted by the action of the coil springs 179previously referred to. After a predetermined pivotal movement of thelever 155 toward the right, the lug 155i on the lever engages the lug157C carried by the tilting frame, as shown by full lines in Fig. 21, sothat further movement in the same direction causes an elevation of thetilting frame 157 about the hollow pin 158, thus elevating the head 148from its lower position. At the beginning of this pivotal movement ofthe tilting frame 157, the pressure of the inclined face of the ange200C on the locking pin 200 against the inclined face of the recess1351: in the stationary frame member will cause the pin 200 to be movedin a forward direction into engagement with the cup-shaped member 201carried by the lever 155 so that a driving connection between the leverand the tilting frame is thereby established in readiness for the nextmovement of the sealing lever 155 toward the left as viewed in Fig. 2l.

Referring now to the seal feeding means which in-` cludes the feedingplunger 151, this mechanism is illustrated particularly in Figs. 17 and18 where the plunger 151 is shown as being mounted to slide on ahorizontal flange 135k of the frame within a guideway 204i: which isformed within an auxiliary housing 204 secured to the frame 135. Theplunger 151 is provided at its extremity adjacent the seal magazine 147with converging side faces 151a which are directed toward the positionwhere the seals are fed between the jaws 150 of the sealing head 14S.The forward extremity of the plunger 151 is provided with an upturnedange 151e which is adapted to engage the top wall of the lowermost sealof the stack of seals in the magazine so that when the `plunger isactuated this seal will be projected into position between the jawswithout at the same time effecting any movement of the next adjacentseal. To insure against any possible engagement with this next seal, theupper side of the plunger 151 is provided with a longitudinal recess orgroove 151d. r[he movement of the seal into position between the jaws isarrested by the engagement of the end of the seal with the flange 171mwhich projects downwardly from the side wall ofthe frame 171 asillustrated in Fig. 18. After the seal has been fed to this position,the plunger 1151 is returned to its vretracted posi- 14 tion and thehead 148 is then lowered to place' the seal over the overlapping strapends as previously described.

The movement of the seal feeding plunger 151 is effected by a lever arm206@ which-is formed as a part of a combination lever 206 having its hubpivoted ou a pin or bolt 207 which is secured in fixed position in theauxiliary housing 204. The lever arm 206a is provided at its vlower endwith a spherical extremity 20Gb which engages an aperture 151e formed inthe plunger so that a reciprocatory movement of the plunger is effectedby the angular movement of the lever arm. The combination lever 206 isprovided with another arm 206e and a coil spring 208 attached to thisarm at one end and having its other end attached to a lug carried by thehousing 204 serves normally to actuate the lever 206 about the pin 207to cause a feeding movement of the plunger 151 toward the right asviewed in Fig. 18.

The action of the spring 208 is normally restrained and the plunger 151is held in its retracted position by the operation of certain latchmechanism comprising a lever arm 206d which is formed integrally withthe hub of the lever 136 and which has mounted on the lower end thereofa rearwardly projecting pin 209 shown particularly in Figs. 18 and 27.This pin has pivoted thereon a latch member 210 having the form shownparticularly in Fig; 28 i which has an arm Z10a extending toward theleft as viewed in Fig. 18 and terminating in a transverse flange 210])carrying an upwardly extending tooth 210C provided with an arcuate uppersurface 210d. The tooth 210e is adapted to project upwardly behind thehead 211g of a stationary detent pin 211 which has an adjustablethreaded engagement with the end wall of the housing 204 where it issecured in adjusted position by a set screw 212. The arm 21011 of thelatch member is connected to a coil spring 214 which extends upwardlywith its other extremity connected to an arm 206e formed on thecombination lever 206. This coil spring 214 tends normally to move thearm 210a of the latch member upwardly so that the tooth 210C is retainedbehind the head 211a of the stationary detent. The latch member 210 thusoperates normally through the coil spring 214 to maintain the sealfeeding plunger 151 in its retracted position. The extent of the upwardmovement of the arm 210a of the latch member under the inuence of thespring 211 is limited by the engagement with the hub of the lever 206 ofa projecting arm 210f which is formed on the upper part of the latchmember and which normally occupies the position shown in Fig. 27. Thehead 211a of the stationary detent is provided with an end face in theform of a truncated cone which is adapted to engage the tooth 210e` ofthe latch member when the lever 206 is swung from the position shown inFig. 18 to the position shown in Fig. 27, with the result that the tooth210C snaps under the head of the detent and automatically assumes theposition shown in Fig. 27.

The release of the latch member 210 from the detention 211, to permitthe feeding movement of the plunger 151 under the influense of thespring 208, is effected by the movable head 148 through a link 215. Forthis purpose, the link 215 is connected at its upper end to the shaft156 which moves with the sealing head. This upper end of the link hasformed therein a longitudinal slet 215a which is slidably engaged by ablock 217 having a non-circular aperture therein to receive theflattened extremity 15611 of the shaft. A pair of washers 218 aremounted on the shaftgon opposite sides of the block 217 and they overlapthe link 215 around the slot 215@ as illustrated in Fig. 17. These partsare securedin assembled relationship by a nut 219 engaging the threadedend of the shaft 156. The block 217 has some movement longitudinally ofthe slot 215a in order to allow for vertical movement of the shaft 156at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the link but when the head 148approaches the upper limit of its travel, the block 217

